The Knight in Shining Armor
by Bumblebee93
Summary: In a couple of years, he'd be taking her to concerts with him and Adam. Clare would argue against it, but give in. He'd be teaching her to ride a bike, to drive a car. He'd be there to wipe away her tears, he'd be her favorite guy. A series of ONE-SHOTS of Eli going through fatherhood
1. WakeUp Cries

**I make no promises on how often this will be updated; I make no promises on if I'll continue. But I DO PROMISE. That as long as you guys want me to write, I will. You guys are my motivation; it's because of you that I feel motivation. I can ask anyone of my friends and family how my writing is and they'll all say "Wonderful" but with you guys, I feel I get honest feedback. So thank you.**

**-Bumblebee93**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Degrassi. But I own Jane, Sarah, and Danny. Don't own it won't be like this for long, either. Though I recommend the song and the artist (: Don't own any story lines quoted either. **

**Also. It sounds weird, but listen to Rockabye baby (Jim Brickman's Version) while you read this. (: **

_It won't be like this for long  
One day we'll look back laughin'  
At the week we brought her home  
This phase is gonna fly by  
So baby just hold on  
'Cause it won't be like this for long_

_It won't be like this for long; Darius Rucker._

**PS: Jane is first introduced in either Phone-call memories or Glitter in the Air**

**Eli~**

"Shhhh…come on Janie. _Please _ stop crying. Mommy and Daddy are tired." He heard Clare's voice crack as she fought back tears of frustration. Jane Marie Goldsworthy had been home for less than 48 hours, and already her parents had given up hope.

The dynamic duo of Clare and Eli, had given up on the idea of alternating diaper duty. When the baby cried, whoever woke up was the one to take care of her. It had been over an hour since Jane had woken Clare up, and Eli still hadn't managed to fall back to sleep. His dark black hair stood up in every other direction, and he had dark bags underneath his green eyes.

Glancing at the clock, he groaned. _5:30._ Deciding to go relieve Clare of her maternal duties, he slipped into his bath robe and padded across the hallway to the babies nursery.

"Hand the kid over," he whispered quietly, shaping his arms into a cradle.

"Eli are you sure? I can handle this. You have work today, go ahead and go back to bed," she replied, rubbing the back of the newborn on her shoulder.

Ordinarily Eli would gladly accept her offer, but when he looked at Clare he just couldn't bring himself to do it. Motherhood suited her well, but it didn't hide her exhaustion. Her smooth cinnamon curls were tangled together in knots that would take forever to get out, and her eyelids drooped, as though she might fall asleep standing up.

"Yes. I'm sure. I'd have to get up in an hour anyways. You have a harder job than I do and it wouldn't be good if you were asleep. "he added gesturing to the baby.

"Thank you," Clare whispered she couldn't have looked more grateful.

"No problem. Now go back to bed. I'll wake you up when I leave," he replied, gently taking the tiny pink bundle from her. Hearing the door shut, he carefully sat down in the old rocker that Cece had given him and Clare upon finding out they were pregnant.

Rocking back and forth, he watched the little girl buried beneath the blankets. If he hadn't been there to see her birth, he'd have sworn that she wasn't his. There was no way, that he could have helped create such a beautiful little person.

As he held her, the wails she was releasing slowly calmed to the point where they were small gasps, and sniffles. Smirking he watched the little girl open her eyes and stare up at him in awe. She had his eyes. In all honesty he'd always hoped that the children he and Clare had, would have her blue eyes. She always hoped the exact opposite.

Lost in his thoughts, he barely noticed the tiny hand that poked out from the fleece blanket, grasping at his finger. It wasn't until a frustrated whimper echoed through the room that he realized what was happening. Shifting the baby to just one arm, he moved his free hand to where Jane could reach. He couldn't help but gasp, as her tiny warm hand wrapped around his pointer finger. It was at that moment, he realized he was a dad.

In a couple of years, he'd be taking her to concerts with him and Adam. Clare would argue against it, but give in. He'd be teaching her to ride a bike, to drive a car. He'd be there to wipe away her tears, he'd be her favorite guy. A knot began to form in his throat at the thought of that. _Get it together Goldsworthy! That's not happening for a very. VERY. Long time. _

As the time passed, the grip that his daughter had on his finger slowly began to release, until it stopped all together, and her hand went slack. He sat there for a few moments longer, watching her dream.

"I'll always be there for you Janie. No matter what you do, no matter how stubborn you act, or even if you run away. I'll always be right there waiting to take you home," he murmured quietly as he set the sleeping infant in the white wicker bassinette. Laying a blanket on top of her, he smiled.

"I'll love you forever, I'll love you for always, as long as I'm living my baby you'll be," He knew quoting a children's book would make him sound like a cornball, but those words couldn't have been more true.

**So… TA-DA (: Remember no input no update. (: **


	2. Heat Wave

**Wow! You guys are the greatest! (: All day long I've gotten at LEAST 100 emails for this story, and If this was a movie. (: This next little one shot was inspired by several things.**

**1~ my dad because he considers hot weather to be over 72 degrees.**

**2~ the heat wave that's swept through where I live. Last week we made it down to 95 degrees! (: **

**3~ the express ways. I love riding it during the summer. It's just high enough that it gives the perfect view of the city I live in. ;3 **

**Disclaimer : Don't own Degrassi. **

_Some people walk in the rain, others just get wet. ~Roger Miller_

**Heat Wave**

**Eli~ **

As he watched the evening news, he wanted nothing more than to kill Bob Smith, the weather man. He didn't have anything _against _him, just what the idiot predicted the temperatures for the next week to be. It was only June 15th and already the lowest temperature was estimated to be 100 degrees. There hadn't been rain in several weeks, and weather like this kept his small family indoors for a good portion of the day.

It was days like to day that he hated himself for letting Clare talk him into buying an old house. The large Victorian house was the oldest in the neighborhood, and therefor didn't come with central air conditioning. **(I think that's what it's called? If it isn't I mean the ac that runs through the whole house, not just a window..) **He had suggested to Clare that it might be a good idea to put it in, but she had refused, claiming "it would ruin the historicalness of the house".

He sighed, grimacing at that memory. He had been able to convince her to buy a few fans, which she had forced _him _ to put in the window. Clare was out of town for the weekend, on business, which left him alone with the baby. Not that he minded, Jane was the most amazing 4 month old a dad could ask for.

He had put her down for a nap in the baby swing a little over half an hour ago, and he could hear her starting to stir. Creeping into the kitchen, he gently picked the little girl up, and carried her to the living room.

Placing her in the baby bouncer, he pushed her short sweaty bangs back. The heat was getting to her too. The little girl began to whine, pulling at the onesie that her mother had put her in before she'd left.

"Oh, if Uncle Adam could see me now," he cooed to the little girl, gently sliding the sticky sweat soaked clothes off of Jane's little body, he threw them into the trashcan behind him. Immediately the little girl let out a sigh of relief. Giving her a smile, he took her upstairs to the nursery.

They had kept the bedrooms shut as much as possible, if the door was shut then the cool air would be trapped. Opening the bathroom door, he flicked the light on. It was just as hot up here, as it was downstairs. It may have been warmer.

"C'mon Janie," he muttered, placing her in the baby seat Clare had insisted he set up inside the bath tub. Turning the handle, he felt the cool water fill the tub. As a child he had absolutely despised bath time. Jane on the other hand, absolutely loved it.

Scooping up a handful of the cool liquid, he splashed it towards Jane. His daughter broke out in a huge grin, and immediately began to splash him back. As hard as she could. Within minutes Eli was soaked, and both he and Jane were laughing.

"Do you see this? Aunt Fiona will KILL me if she sees this. This is your fault!" he teased. Jane's face had fallen for a moment, before her toothless grin returned.

"I'm not sure whose cleaner, you or me," he joked. Wrapping her in a towel, he went to her tiny bedroom. It should have been cool in the bedroom, however it felt as though someone may melt.

Taking a look at the baby in his arms, Eli couldn't bear to put her in the crib. It would be cruel and unusual punishment.

"You're bunking with Daddy tonight," he whispered, Jane watched him curiously, as they went downstairs. What could her father be doing?

Setting her back down in her bouncer, he went to work re-arranging the room. Sure Clare would have a fit when she got home, but she wasn't here sleeping in the heat. The leather couch was the coolest and longest piece of furniture they had. With all his might, he pushed it from one side of the room to the other, so that it would be right underneath the bay window. He had just about gotten it into place, when he lost his grip, and stubbed his big toe on the corner.

"Sh-." He was about to release every cuss word he'd ever learned from Bullfrog, but he stopped when he heard Jane's amused giggles. Turning towards the 4 month old, he rolled his eyes. She sat bouncing up and down in the seat, smiling and clapping her hands.

"You like that?" he questioned creeping closer, before swinging her up into his arms.

"You like seeing Daddy hurt himself?" he questioned, planting a kiss on the little girl's cheek. She let out a happy squeal. Rolling his eyes at her loud shrieks, he flopped down on the couch. Laying Jane on his chest, he watched as her big green eyes began to droop, until finally they stayed closed. Planting a kiss on top of her head, he soon fell asleep too.

**I have to say it you guys. I'm not so sure about this one…I don't really like how I did it..but oh well! **

**I have a major question to ask you..it'll affect all future chapters. Now. I have A LOT of ideas for future chapters..but my question to you is this: **

**Does it matter to you if the chapters go in order? (I mean like does it matter, if Jane is a baby in one..and a child in another) **

**I REALLY need some input on this so if you would please take the time to give your input in either**

**A: A review.**

**B: The poll found the top of my page.**

**Thanks! You guys rock!**

**Xoxo,**

**Bumblebee93**


	3. Michael

**I'm back! Sorry about that guys. I was on a mini-vacation (1 week up North) ;) Spent sometime with the family, swam, baked, read a book every day…(I finished 5) and thought of story ideas. **

**I've come to my decision. The one-shots for this story, are not going to be in order. I apologize to the people who wish it were, but it is easier for me to write them out of order. I WILL however. Give you the name and age of the Goldsworthy Gang. (Pretty clever name eh?) and I promise that I won't be skipping from the children being like 3 years old to being 15.  
With that said. I hope you enjoy this chapter. (: Leave a review.**

**Clare: 26**

**Eli: 27**

**Jane: 3 **

_**Michael**_

_The __**imaginary**__ friends I had as a kid dropped me because their friends thought I didn't exist_

_~Unknown_

**Eli-**

"No silly! Dogs don't drive cars!" he heard a tiny voice giggle, as he walked down the hall. Curiously, he poked his head into the playroom only to find his little girl all alone.

"Janie-Bean, who are you talking to?" he called, getting more confused as the moments passed. Jane sat on a round rug, that covered the majority of the wooden floor in the room. Almost as if she'd been caught with her hand in the cookie jar just before dinner, the little girl's giggles stopped.

**Jane-**

She sat on the floor in her playroom, surrounded by toys. Michael sat next to her, telling an outrageous story about the time a dog named Sampson drove his car to the movies. He had offered Michael a ride, but Michael had politely refused. By the end of the story, Jane couldn't contain her laughter.

"Michael! Dogs don't drive cars!" she told her friend, who was laughing right along with her. He always told her of the most wonderful things. Car driving dogs, Ice-Cream Mountain, the mermaid he'd found in her mommy's bathtub. The list went on and on. She'd been so caught up with laughing, that she hadn't noticed her Daddy watching her.

**Eli- **

"Jane." He repeated himself for a second time, watching as the little girl turned around to greet him.

"Daddy!" she exclaimed, her green eyes immediately lighting up with excitement. Her father had been gone all day long. Working as usual.

"How was work?" she mumbled into his waist, as she hugged him as tight as her little body would allow.

"Work was fine sweet pea, but what I want to know was who you were talking to." He raised an eyebrow, crouching down so that he would be level with his daughter.

"I'm playing with Michael, like I always do," was her reply.

When he didn't respond, she grew worried.

"Daddy? Did I do something wrong?"

"No sweetie, nothing at all. Where is Michael? Can I meet him?"

"Sure Daddy! He's still here. His mommy hasn't called him for dinner yet." Her voice filled with excitement as she took his large hand into her tiny one, and led him into the room.

**Jane- **

"Michael this is my Daddy," she gestured to Eli, as she entered the room. Michael who had been sitting on the floor, moved towards the window seat.

"Nice to meet you Michael," Eli greeted empty space. Jane covered her mouth, in an attempt to hide her snickers.

"Daddy. Michael is over there. By the window. Can't ya see him?"

"Of course sweet heart!" Her daddy replied.

"Daddy. You don't have to lie to me, it's okay that you can't see him, Michael is shy."

_**Later on….at feeding time…aka(for you normal people)dinner time…**_

**No POV-**

"Jane? Is Michael staying for dinner? Clare called up the stairs, as she set 4 plates on the kitchen table.

"What are we having?" the little girl called back down.

"Mac N' Cheese!"

"Yes! That's our favorite!"

Clare couldn't help but smile, as she spooned a smaller portion onto the 4th plate. Eli who sat on a bar stool at the counter, looked up from the mail he'd been sorting through.

"You knew about it?" he questioned.

"If you mean _**Michael **_then yes. I knew about him," she replied, pouring 2 glasses of chocolate milk she set those on the table as well.

"How come I didn't?" her husband wondered, Jane told him everything. When he got home from work she would tell him about everything from the moment she woke up, to the moment he set foot through the door. Never had she mentioned Michael.

"Maybe she was afraid you'd be mad." Clare suggested, to which Eli's jaw dropped.

"I mean, you're always telling her-"

"No boys until she's married," he finished, with a groan.

"Right. So maybe she just didn't want to make you upset. "

"I guess,"

**Sitting down to the meal..**

"Daddy! No!" wailed Jane, as her father almost fell out of his seat.

"What is it? What's wrong?" he exclaimed erratically.

"You're sitting on MICHAEL!"

**Later at bedtime….**

"And thank you God for Mommy, and Daddy, and Michael, and Grandma Cece, and Grandpa Bullfrog," Jane's eyelids dropped further and further down with each name. Gently sliding the quilt up and around her, Eli pecked her on the forehead, muttered an "I Love You" and turned off the light. Just before he shut the door, he heard a tiny voice mutter sleepily.

"Michael you're hogging all the blankets,"

Being the overbearing father he was, he burst into the room and flicked on the light. Jane sat up straight, rubbing her eyes.

"Daddy? What are you doing?"

"Where's Michael sleeping?" her father questioned through gritted teeth. Imaginary or not this boy would not be sleeping in the same bed as his daughter.

"Next to me," she replied confused still.

Without another word, Eli took the blue blanket that was folded on the end of her bed, and a throw pillow. Setting them on the floor, he pointed at the empty space next to Jane.

"Michael. You're sleeping on the floor from now, until the day you marry Jane."

"No exceptions." He added to Jane, who sat up giggling yet again.

**Jane- **

"Goodnight Michael, I love you." She murmured sleepily.

"Love you too Janie. You're the prettiest girl in the world,"

**So what'd ya think? Good? Bad? For those who didn't understand this at all…Michael was Jane's imaginary friend. (: Let me know what you though in a review? **

**Love always,**

**Bumblebee93**


	4. Run

**Chapter 4: Run**

**Read and Review! **

**Disclaimer: Don't own Degrassi **

**__**

Baby run cut a path across the blue skies  
Straight in a straight line you can't get here fast enough  
Find a truck and fire it up lean on the gas and off the clutch  
Leave Dallas in the dust I need you in a rush  
So baby run

**_Run; George Strait_**

**Jane: 3 years old **

**Eli- **

_"Daddy! Don't go! Please! Just stay here with me and Mommy! We need you more than work does!" Jane sobbed, clinging as tightly as she could to her father. The tiny family stood in the airport loading docks, saying one last goodbye before Eli left for Dallas Texas. He'd been transferred there for 2 months, in order to close a deal with one of the major corporations in the United States. It was the first time that he'd ever had to leave Jane for more than a day or two. _

_"Sweetheart I have to. Two months will go by so fast, you won't even know I was gone." He soothed, hugging the tiny 3 year old to his chest. _

_"Daddy, I'll know you're gone. There'll be nobody to dance with me, or tell me stories, or sneak me cookies before dinner! There'll be nobody to stand up for me against Uncle Adam!" she wailed. _

_"Jane Marie Goldsworthy. Look at me." He commanded with as stern of a voice as he could muster. The little girl lifted her head from his shoulder, to reveal the most pain filled, betrayed eyes he'd ever seen._

_"I'll be back. I'll bring you something extra special to make up for loss time. Mommy can hook up Skype and we can talk everyday. It'll be just like the real thing." He managed to choke out, before prying her little body off of his. _

_Clare gently took the little girl's hand into hers. Eli could see the tears that were threatening to fall from her eyes. _

_"Don't cry Blue-eyes. I'll be back before you know it," he gave her a weak smirk.  
"Eli, don't forget your meds, don't forget to call when you get there, and DON'T forget to miss me," _

_He rolled his eyes. "Who are you? My mother?" he questioned, a small smile spread across her face. _

_"No. I'm your wife. And don't forget." She whispered, gently pressing her lips to his.  
"Now go. Or you'll miss the flight," she urged gently. She knew exactly how hard it was for him to leave._

_"She'll be fine Eli," she added as she hugged the little girl that clung to her leg. _

_One more goodbye hug and a very passionate kiss from Clare, and he was on his way to Dallas. _

**Present Day…**

All he could think about was getting home to his girls. Those 2 months seemed to drag on forever. He kept his word, skyping Clare each night. Jane would tell him about her day at day care, what she had for lunch, how much she missed him. Every night he'd read her a story. It wasn't the same as being there in person, but it worked out just the same.

Finally when his two months in Dallas were finished, all the deals closed, he was allowed to transfer back home.

000

As he stepped off the plane, he was surrounded by people. Some were hugging and laughing, others on cellphones, he saw everyone. Except his girls.

After several minutes of searching, he found the familiar pair of blue eyes. She ran at him, only to be beaten by a little girl.

"Daddy! You're home!" she squealed, as he swung her up and into his arms.

**I know this wasn't the best..but I felt like I owed you guys something..it's been a while. I'm not going to be updating ANYTHING from Wednesday until Sunday, because I am going on another mini-vacation.. **

**Review (:**

**-Bumblebee93**

**PS: On my fb page there is a photo of what Jane looks like… (: she's absolutely adorable.. (: **


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